After a month well spent in the Philippines, we arrived at the anticipated stop of Indonesia. This is one of the few destinations we knew for certain ahead of time that we would without a doubt make our way to. While our initial entry and solicitor-filled short stay in Kuta left us craving something different, we quickly learned there are some really good reasons so many people visit this beautiful country!
Amed
Amed lies on the Northern coast of Bali. Beyond yoga teacher training, this black-sandy peaceful escape from the city center was the perfect place to connect with the beautiful natural surroundings (especially sunsets with views of Mt. Agung) and continue exploring the underwater world. We set out on a snorkeling trip with some of Kim’s fellow yogis our first weekend in Amed. This consisted of hopping single file into a boat and making stops at 3 different sites. The current was STRONG at the first site, which made us quite grateful for our swimming abilities. Visibility was impacted by the current, but it’s hard not to still enjoy the chance to admire the fish and coral we could see. Site #2 essentially consisted of one slightly suspicious and lonely sea turtle, while site #3 was vibrant and full of life near a coral-encrusted underwater temple.
We had the extra special treat of Jack’s wonderful pal Andre meeting up with us in Bali! While Kim was occupied with yoga, Jack and Andre set off on their own grand adventures (more on this later). All three of us had the chance to scuba dive together at the U.S. Liberty Wreck—this cargo ship was used in both WWI & WWII before being beached near Bali. Andre had been working on his open water diver certification for the two days prior, which meant that we had the special opportunity to join in on his final certification dives. Gotta love an underwater celebration!
This dive site was absolutely unreal, so we were extra grateful that we had the chance to spend over an hour exploring it during each of the two dives. Our first dive was spent making a lap around the perimeter of the wreck, while the second was dedicated to exploring the intricacies of the inside. We were lucky to see some sweet lips, barracudas, triggerfish, a massive pufferfish, garden eels, blue spotted stingrays, nudibranch, and so much more!
Yoga Teacher Training
Kim (aka me) embarked on a 3 week 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training through Trimurti. This training took place at Kelapa Cottage in Amed, which was way nicer than anywhere we’ve stayed in quite some time. It felt a little bizarre (but welcomed) to unpack and stop living out of the trusty backpack for an extended period of time. The outdoor bathroom that let us shower under the sun and moon, daily room cleaning, and onsite pool certainly didn’t hurt either.
Here I had the chance to learn from two instructors from India and one from the United Kingdom, which offered the perfect blend of simultaneously learning about the traditional roots of Yoga and more contemporary teaching styles. We had what felt like an intimate and perfectly sized group of 7 students coming from the US (hi), Indonesia, Australia, Denmark, France, Germany, and Switzerland. All of us came here with a wide range of hopes for the course—some people knowing for certain they want to become teachers and others focused more on personal growth.
This was a mixed style training program which meant that each week we focused on a different style starting with Hatha (long holds), then Ashtanga (specific series that’s the same each time), & ending with Vinyasa (creative & flowy). The days were long and jam packed with learning from 6:30 am to 8:00 pm (including meals and breaks of course!). Each morning kicked off with 30 minutes of either breath work, chanting, or meditation followed by a 90 minute yoga practice. The bulk of the day was spent in classes including: anatomy, philosophy, adjustment & alignment, & yoga education. Each day concluded with an evening practice of some sort which ranged from a second instructor-led class, therapeutic touch workshops, and student-led classes as the weeks progressed. It felt incredibly exciting to be “back in school”. Beyond the typical training, we also shared experiences of a full-moon ceremony and ecstatic dance (think rave but without any substances involved). I gotta say those are two things I didn’t necessarily think I’d ever do!
As far as learning how to teach, by the end of the first week we ripped the bandaid off and each had to teach 3 rounds of sun salutations (with the extra kicker of using Sanskrit names for poses). A few days after this we were asked to teach a full Hatha style class with a partner, and for our final “practical exam” we each taught a 60 minute class of the style of our choice. It was truly special to watch everyone’s teaching beautifully progress over such a short time period!
Top of mind takeaways:
- Yoga can and should be for every body.
- I genuinely despised yoga when I first tried it. Being the opposite of flexible it felt like it just “wasn’t for me”, and I hate the idea of anyone else feeling that way. Going into this I wasn’t sure if I ever want to teach, but if I ever do, I know for certain that the dream would just be to teach a really inclusive beginner level class.
- Teaching yoga is HARD (& wonderful)
- Conquering the fear of public speaking, remembering pose names, providing positional and breathing cues, giving modifications, demonstrating, etc. OH MY. However…watching people successfully flow through a sequence you built is a pretty spectacular experience.
- Reflections on meditating and ethics are what might stick with me the most.
- Moving beyond practicing concentration (i.e. focusing on your breath, awareness of thoughts) to new meditation practices was a beautiful experience. The Yamas & Niyamas (ethical restraints) also really help bring yoga off the mat into the world with you.
- I don’t have to be anyone other than myself.
- From navigating group dynamics to being tasked with what could feel like a performance in teaching, I walked away from this feeling proud that I just let myself be me. A young self-conscious and persistently over-thinking Kim would be shook by the idea of this. I’m pretty lucky to genuinely like who I am these days (with room for growth always, of course).
- I have the best support system
- Jack gave such a persistent supportive nudge to take the time to do this. Honestly without it, I definitely wouldn’t have! Having him by my side for part of it too meant the world to me. Also, always grateful to the women in my life that are endlessly supportive!
The Great Bali Loop
This is where the timeline gets a bit tricky. For one week of Kim’s YTT Jack and Andre went gallivanting around on scooters to explore more of Bali. They returned back to Amed for a few days and then set back out, this time to the island of Lombok. While the boys were in Lombok, Kim went on a partially solo adventure to see Bali beyond Amed. All of Jack & Andre’s adventures will be compiled together and shared soon!
Sideman & Ubud
While the boys were away playing, Kim went on a side quest of her own with two new friends made through the yoga training. Together we made a highly recommended stop in Sideman to enjoy the tranquility of nature among the mountains and rice fields. In between Amed and Sideman lives Bali Coffee Plantation. We underestimated how much we were going to love the free tour and tasting at this plantation. What’s not to love about chatting away in a lush setting while trying a whooping 16 coffees and teas? Their Balinese’s coffee, ginger coffee and teas, avocado coffee, and pandam tea were the big standouts! We opted not to try the rather expensive Luwak coffee (coffee beans fermented via being digested and pooped out by a lemur-like animal).
Yet another waterfall was chased through a visit to Gembleng Waterfall. This towering multi level waterfall offered ample spots to take a dip and soak up the blissful setting jam packed with lush tropical flora. We ended our Sideman excursion with a vegan cooking class at Anandinii Organic Garden & Kitchen. To begin we threw on some woven bamboo hats and made a trip into the garden to harvest some of the fresh herbs and veggies we’d be cooking with—talk about farm to table! Once the ingredients were gathered, we were guided through creating our four course meal, which consisted of:
- Appetizer: Tempe, eggplant, cassava, and spinach tempura with fresh tomato sauce
- Salad: Boiled vegetables with yellow paste made from turmeric, ginger, garlic, shallots, lemongrass, bay leaves, and candlenuts.
- Main: Coconut milk based soup with young papaya and tempe along with tofu steamed in banana leaves.
- Dessert: Green pancakes stuffed with grated coconut—natural green color due to the pandan leaf.
A few days were then spent in Ubud—a yogi and vegan hotspot! This gorgeous place is wildly female solo traveler friendly, which was very welcomed. An attempt at Ariel yoga was made at the Yoga Barn. The class itself was unique, but wow, the Yoga Barn campus is unreal. I get why this place has such a cult-like following now with a whole campus dedicated to many gorgeous yoga shalas. They also have rooms to sleep in, a restaurant and cafe, and many hang out spots. It’s almost as if they don’t want you to leave…The cafe culture is booming in Ubud in general—which made for the perfect place to indulge in a matcha espresso (two great loves combined) while taking time to plot what’s next!
Silly Little Stats (as of leaving Bali)
- # of beds slept in: 68
- # of countries visited: 9
- # of transportation modes: 13 (plane, train, bus, colectivo, tuk-tuk, ferry, legs motorbike, long tail boat, tricycle, car, bicycle, canoe, jeepny)
- Bus (non-local): 28
- Plane: 14
- Ferry: 8
- Train: 3
- # of days since leaving Colorado: 217